NEW DELHI: Around 50 litres of acid lying in a public toilet opposite GB Pant Hospital in central Delhi has been seized following a surprise inspection led by Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal, officials said on Friday.
Maliwal also issued summons to Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials and asked them to be present before the Commission on April 11 with a detailed report regarding the matter, they said.
The inspection was conducted on Thursday night following complaints regarding issues related to public toilets for women and girls in various areas of Delhi, they said.
Maliwal shared a video on Twitter in which she can be seen scolding the staff of the public toilet after finding the acid there.
"You will be shocked to see what was found during the toilet inspection in Daryaganj last night. Found 50 litres of acid lying in the open in a toilet in Central Delhi. Think how many lives could have been ruined. Police were called and the acid was seized. We are seeking answers from the MCD and action will be taken against the culprits," Maliwal tweeted in Hindi.
The caretaker informed that the acid was being used for cleaning the toilets and is replenished every two months by his seniors.
"The Commission has asked for reasons for usage of acid for cleaning public toilets as well as action taken against the authorities responsible for acid being used in the public toilets.
"It has fixed the accountability of MCD by asking them the guidelines issued against the use of acid as a cleaning agent in public toilets as well as the steps taken by them for preventing usage of acid for cleaning the toilets," a statement issued by the DCW said.
The Commission has asked the MCD to submit a copy of the bills of the acid procured as well as the amount of funds disbursed by the MCD in the upkeep of the said toilet, it said.
A senior Delhi Police officer said, "A can containing 50 litres of acid was seized from a public toilet.
We have made a Daily Diary (DD) entry and will be submitting a detailed report regarding the same to the Sub Divisional Magistrate.
" According to the DCW, during an inspection of MCD toilets in Daryaganj area, the Commission observed that Rs 10 was being charged from users each time they used the toilet that was closed at 10 pm, rendering women and girls vulnerable to open defecation.
It was also found that two MCD toilet complexes near the hospital were locked.
Further, the Commission has asked for reason for charging usage fee of Rs 10 from users along with copy of guidelines regarding user charges for public toilets.
It has also asked them reasons for keeping the toilet complexes locked and has sought action taken against officers for wastage of public resources, the statement said.
Locals and Delhi Police officials informed that the toilet complexes have been locked for several months, which is causing distress to women and girls, the panel said.
Maliwal further stated, "I am shocked to discover huge quantities of acid kept in the open in a public toilet in central Delhi. This could have been used by people for criminal activities.
The fact that acid is being used in public toilets for cleaning purposes on a large scale is unacceptable and shameful.
"Strict action should be taken against the authorities for encouraging the use of acid for cleaning in toilets. Also, there should be no user fee for using toilets. All the toilets should be functional all the time, and if any toilet is lying non-functional, strict action should be taken against the official(s) responsible for it," she added.
In December 2022, two masked men on a bike flung acid on a 17-year-old who was attacked minutes after she left her West Delhi home for school, leading to widespread condemnation and a call for an effective way to monitor that buying acid.
In view of the increase in the number of acid attacks, the Supreme Court in 2013 banned the over-the-counter sale of acid at retail outlets and ordered a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to be paid by state governments to each acid attack victim.
Chemicals like sulphuric acid and nitric acid are available for industrial purposes but licenses are required for their sale and purchase. Delhi reported 11 acid attack cases in 2018 and 10 in 2019.
The national capital saw only two cases in 2020 when the country was under a lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In India, 228 such cases were reported in 2018, followed by 249 the next year and 182 in 2020, according to data.